Grassroots Pantry

The restaurant is spacious and fresh. Love the design, plants and light. The lunch set I had last fall was great with salad, delicious tempeh, coffee and biscotti. Everything on the ethnic plate I had for dinner last Saturday tasted bland, the pancakes and tofu weren’t really edible. The carrots and other veggies had virtually no taste to them. My friend and I also sampled a few juices and hot beverages and the quality was good. The staff was friendly and the service prompt. We wondered why the place was so empty on a Saturday evening. I will definitely be back to try the mushroom linguine and the breakfast sets. Looks so tempting. Will report.

I am actually sitting in this lovely vegan café in Soho as we speak at this moment! Their new pantry in Soho is a two-​storey large space in a very nice setting. Even if you are not a vegan, you can still still a coffee/​dessert/​drink on a weekend day and hang around a bit.
From all the vegan restaurants I’ve visited in HK (and trust me I’ve been to A LOT) Grassroots Pantry probably has the most extensive menu. This can perfect attest to the fact that a vegan diet can be anything but boring. I was literally astounded at the creativity of the owner of this vegan eatery for coming up with such a variety of choices for not just vegan but also gluten-​free and nut-​free choices here, especially considering the fact that HK is not as mature as the US or Europe in terms of its vegan customer market.
So what do they offer here. Anything on a traditional vegan/​healthy eating restaurant of course including salads, kelp noodles, acai bowl, and all that jazz. But you’d be surprised when you can find creative dishes with Southeast Asian and Japanese/​Korean influences in their creations. Kimchee pancakes, «tuna» hand rolls, curry spring rolls, vegan green thai curry, Szechuan stir-​fry, Unagi, etc. And 90% percent of them are vegan and gluten-​free! I have yet to try all these amazing looking dishes but from the salads and a couple brunch items I’ve tried including their tofu scramble, gluten-​free bread and cashew nut butter, none of them ever disappointed!
Don’t forget to check out their dessert selections as well. They have selections of vegan gluten free cakes, cookies and pralines to choose from. Personally I didn’t care much for the taste and texture of their pastries but they are definitely healthier than others.
My ratings:
Flavor —
Environment — (It’s actually pretty much a nice sit-​down restaurant and can be a spot for special occasions.)
Price — (Most items are above $ 100HKD and it could be slightly lower IMHO.)
Location — (in the heart of central SOHO)
Vegan/​gluten-​free options:
Overall —
Recommendation: Kale Salad and brunch items
See relevant photos and the full list of my Top 5 Restaurants for Eating Vegan/​Gluten-​Free in Hong Kong:

For anyone that knows me, I take a long time to decide on a place to eat with friends (even after coming up with a dozen or so suggestions), so I let my old high school friend pick this time. I’m so glad she picked Grassroots Pantry, because who knew healthy vegetarian food could taste so GOOD? She made reservations for us at 7pm, and while a majority of tables were still vacant then, they soon quickly filled up later.
Walking in to the restaurant is like a breath of fresh air — a definite escape from the hot humid HK environment. The overall space has a very clean, polished, simple and «grassroots”-y sort-​of look, a unique place you wouldn’t expect to find in HK. One look at the menu and we knew we wanted to try everything! Our server checked in on us several times to see if we were ready to order, but after asking for «a few more minutes», we gave up and just asked him for advice. He gave us a very thorough introduction to the Grassroots Pantry concept and walked us through the menu, highlighting the freshness of ingredients and how they turned popular (meat) dishes into vegetarian (and vegan) works of culinary art. Limited by our two stomachs, we settled on Unagi Eel Maki (HK$ 115) for a starter and the Beetroot Gnocchi ($ 158) for the main.
To start things off, they brought us a light rice and seaweed-​wrapped palate starter with wasabi mayo, and fresh whole grain bread with a light sesame/​nut olive oil dip that just brought down the house. Before I continue, can I just say that their water is probably the most delicious water I’ve tasted in HK restaurants? They immerse lemon and cucumber slices with vanilla pods in their water containers — it’s so good!!! The Unagi Eel Maki came next, and it was so beautifully and smartly presented. Instead of using real rice, they used cauliflower, finely diced to look like rice. How creative! The Beetroot Gnocchi surprised me the most — as I’m not the biggest fan of gnocchi — in a good way, that I would go back just taste it again. The tender roasted baby beets and crunchy walnuts complimented the chewy purple gnocchi. Like fireworks in my mouth! For two young Asian women, we were quite full at the end of the dinner. The gnocchi filled me up for sure.
Overall, we had such a wonderful dining experience, my taste buds were jumping for joy throughout, and I cannot wait to return for another visit.

Cool place, neat space. Probably a little too hip for me but the Chinese inspired vegan dishes are a welcomed change to the overly heavy meat dishes in this part of Asia. Id definitely recommend if you want to mix with mostly expats and tourists and you’re looking for a decent westernized vegetarian interpretation of local and regional cuisine.

I came here to catch up with an old friend. Was too focused on the conversation and didn’t do as much observations as I normally would, so I will skip the décor and onto my food experience.
We were served a varied complimentary «appetizers» — a bread basket consisting of whole grain bread and beetroot crackers (to die for, the flavor and texture so nutty!), almond butter, and an avocado shooter topped with a mix of spices and crunchy root veg. Definitely food good enough to tease your appetite and ask for more.
For mains, we had the Beetroot Gnocchi and Signature Mixed Mushroom Linguine. The Gnocchi came in the full beetroot color, and the texture was so chewy and delicious. They were made in these bite sized chunks and I can imagine myself snacking on these all day.
The Linguine was very flavorful, and creamy enough to not feel very heavy but still very satisfying.
I thought the portions were not that big for mains, but in the end I didn’t feel like I had to order dessert to top it off.
Very friendly staff. Loved the spacious industrial/​minimalist style of the place. Will definitely be back.

If you have always been wondering how fancy can vegan eateries get, Grassroots Pantry is just the place that you have to visit.
First thing first, this place is definitely not the cheapest choice around the area — but the exclusivity would explain the price list well. Fret’ not though — as they do have business lunch menu available.
I tried their mushroom risotto, which was truly an art in itself. Carefully prepared, and garnished with attention paid to the little details. Not only looking good, it was a very flavourful dish considering that it’s actually vegan. So, honestly, I always have the misperception that vegan food while being so healthy, wouldn’t be tasting as good. I have been proven wrong apparently — the spices that they have whipped up together in the dish were just outstanding.
For the beverage that comes with the set, you could choose to upgrade your beverage to their pressed juice or coffee, or while they understand that you might find it too challenging to pick one of the two, they also have an option where you could have both pressed juice, and your cuppa joe. Pretty considerate, aren’t they?
I picked their pressed juice, which was called the liver saver — obviously a great choice after a night out, you could hear your liver screaming for help. Tasting healthy, and I almost immediately felt healthier after having it.
They do have quite a wide range of desserts too — vegan, of course. But I have not tried them during my visit. But with no doubt, they all looked salivating.
Food and beverage aside, their decoration of their little space was nothing short of cozy and exclusive. They picked a very peaceful tone of colour for the interior and decorations looked classy altogether. Would definitely love to visit again!

Too cool for school!
This place checks off everything on the hipster list: heaps of natural light, a mix of industrial and natural décor (walls are grey and covered with plants), cold pressed juices on the menu, and servers with a sense of style. So. Fucking. Instagrammable. All of it.
I tried their lunch set and chose the vegan friendly gyoza, along with the organic sweet corn brown rice risotto. Loved them both, especially the risotto as it was served with these sunflower cheese crackers. I could eat those crackers all day, err day!
I found the food very filling and it fueled me through an afternoon of ‘hood hunting in Hong Kong. A good place to go to if you’ve got a nice chunk of change for a good lunch!

Grassroots looks like my dream space with its distressed gray diagonal-​plank hardwood floors, its chic mismatched furniture, and lush oversized plants. Can I move in already, please?
The culinary team also happens to make wonderfully clean yet flavorful and inventive food. Heavy vegetarian comfort food, you will not find here. But if chia, granola, coconut, avocado, kale, quinoa, and free-​range eggs are all part of your regular lexicon, you’re going to love it here. And even if they’re not — you’re really going to like it here.
I recently came in for lunch with a friend and tried one of their set lunches, which included the pan-​fried gyoza to start followed by the palak paneer. Reinterpreted with a light touch, both of these dishes tasted healthy but retained their lively flavor dispositions. I especially enjoyed the housemade Szechuan peppercorn vinaigrette which accompanied the gyoza — I wish to buy a jug of this and pour it on everything!
We concluded our meal with coffee and Grassroots gets all the small details right: they heat up the cream and include a dainty yet delicious piece of biscotti. Ah, the perfect ending.
Grassroots is almost always full so I recommend making a reservation! You can either email them at
or visit their website and book via the Quandoo reservation platform.

This just opened, or rather moved from its former location. It is located right next to the very popular Blue Butcher and a stones throw away up the little incline from the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road.
A prior review stated that this establishment would make Buddha proud and I would agree. Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free, Buddhist Friendly and Nut Free… all menu items are listed and marked as such.
We were walk-​ins around 9:30PM on a Monday and I think it was busy because it had just opened. There was maybe 10 minute wait. Ambiance is nice… cement floors, inviting little bar, tall ceilings, mismatched chairs (although the chairs are shorter than the bench on the opposite side of the dining table, so you are not at eye level with your meal companion… just an observation), good lighting, white walls, light wood finishes… the place feels inviting.
Staff was friendly, food was delivered quickly. My biggest observation and maybe the leading factor for my 4 Star rating were the flavors. Every item we ordered was super flavorful. Tempah, lemongrass, roti canai, white truffle oils, flax dukkah, the list could go on… every menu item is a study in world spices and flavors. It comes through in every dish. Vegan, prepared clean and flavorful. Although with a kick and what my husband liked the least, the Mushroom Tempah Rendang was my personal favorite, but let me also note that the linguine noodles were super fresh.
I saw wine, but not sure of their liquor license status. Wine for sure, not sure on the other adult beverages. The staff indicated that they do serve breakfast and lunch too and I also saw a fresh cold pressed juices and smoothies menu as well.
It is a bit pricey, but I think you get what you pay for. This is again vegan, prepared clean and flavorful… worth the price to me personally. If vegan is not your thing, you will most likely feel this place is expensive. For one appetizer and two entrees (no drinks, just water), it was $ 452HKD (10% service fee is automatically added to the bill as well).
My husband states and let me quote, «This is a girl restaurant. The only reason a guy is here is because he was tricked by the girl into coming here. This is a place that a girl would come because it is super healthy and full of raw/​vegan stuff. The few guys I see here are saying to themselves, I was tricked.» I suppose this is why I liked it and he did not like it so much… and there were more woman here than men! HA! HA! HA!, so maybe he is right!
So I will definatley go back, but it will probably be by myself or with a group of girlfriends or my one Vegan male friend.